The newspaper headlines have finally got Sania Malik off their menu (some TV new channels are in fact literally discussing that as well – smell of Hyderabadi Briyani in the air?) Perhaps someone should advice Sania to preserve her wedding night dress –stains et all, as you never know when it might be useful in some future wicked (t) ball game!

It is refreshing to note that the Indian Government is finally mulling over removing the Haj subsidy, though from the perspective of cutting corners and costs (and sultry wedding expenses?)

I think the Haj Subsidy must be removed and should never have been there in the first place because a ‘secular’ country has no business in sponsoring worship of any particular religion-minority or majority – freely & safely allowing its citizens to worship and go on pilgrimage as they please on their own free will (without provocation, of course).

Pandit Nehru, an avowed atheist and a declared secular Prime Minister first introduced the Haj Subsidy, which in addition to his China Blunder was another Nehruvian mistake – a glaring example of misconceived secularism (which the BJP rightfully calls pseudo-secularism). The story goes that the then President Dr. Rajendra Prasad wanted to preside over or attend the consecration of the renovated Somnath Temple and told Nehru so. Secular Nehru said nothing doing! How can the Head of a secular Country be seen hobnobbing with religion? What would the World think of India? - was his question. The President thought it over and attended the consecration as a private citizen and in keeping with his religious belief.

History records that a furious Pandit Nehru shot off a high-tone letter to the President condemning the visit and that the Hindu President should not have visited the function even as a private citizen! Wow! (Someone, please correct me, if I got this story wrong!)

Now, viewed in this background how could secular Nehru go ahead and establish the Haj fund and subsidy and order all the Sates to create such a fund and maintain exclusive state-sponsored properties for the Haj Pilgrimage? Is this secularism? Is this not a monumental blunder of the highest order by a secular Country? These funds could have been better utilized to develop infrastructure, improve living conditions and provide education for the poorer sections of all communities. After all these years the same Congress Govt now wants to provide reservation in the name of religion. The Congress Party, thanks to its mighty Nehruvian policies has never understood what true secularism means- and it is extremely convenient not to do so, in the present, for the sake of preserving cultivated well-grown vote-banks!

We need to grow-up and understand the bare essentials of secularism and implement them vigorously. Will this happen? Meanwhile, Sania and Malik played games – cricket and tennis and a new intermingling borderless one as well in far-off lands and had babies! Ha!